Barbell Hamstring Exercises (Video)

Barbell hamstring exercises are a great way to strengthen the hamstrings and improve things like balance and posture. Learn about barbell hamstring exercises with help from an expert with 15 years of experience in the fitness industry in this free video clip.

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I'm Jeremy Shore for Livestrong.com, and this is barbell hamstring exercises. Two of the best hamstring strengthening exercise with a barbell are the straight leg and single leg Romanian deadlifts. These two variations of the deadlift not only strengthen the hamstrings but also improve posture, balance and coordination. Let me demonstrate. For the Romanian deadlift, stand tall with feet hip to shoulder width apart, holding the bar in front of the hips, the pronated grip, keeping your chest up nice and tall, abs in and tight, place a light bend in the knee. From there we're going to push the hips directly back allowing the bar to lower alongside the thighs and down in front of the shins, maintaining a flat rigid back, get to the sticking point where you feel a catch in the back of the hamstring, and then drive through the floor extending up and squeezing the gluts at the top of the movement, then draw the hips back, flexing at the hips, maintaining that knee bend at the bottom it catches then we drive through the hips, squeezing the gluts at the top. For the single leg Romanian deadlift with the barbell, hold the bar in front of the thighs, the palms facing you, take your weight onto one foot, placing a light bend in the knee and maintain that bend throughout the movement keeping your chest up, your abs tight, your back flat. We're going to tip forward pushing the elevated leg through the back of the room as you lower the barbell down towards the floor keeping it close to the body, maintaining that flat back and a light bend in the knee. As soon as you catch at the bottom, you'll drive through the floor extending back up, squeezing the glut at the top of the movement, maintaining your weight on the one foot and keeping the other foot off the ground right next to it. Now repeat that movement, push the foot back, flex the hips, keep the back flat, lower, lower, lower, catch, drive through the floor, extend up nice and tall and repeat. I'm Jeremy Shore for Livestrong.com, and this has been barbell hamstring exercises.